


Gifts and Gags

by Samantha_Hobson



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-05-21 03:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14907545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samantha_Hobson/pseuds/Samantha_Hobson
Summary: This is a story of a playful and curious being of the Secret Woods coming out too see if the residents of Stardew Valley are kind or wicked. Depending on how they treat her she will either reward them with something they need/want, or trick them. How will they deal with the small fox child that appears and disappears, that asks for different thing from them, and leaves something behind every time?





	1. Linus & Gus

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Stardew Valley, just my ideas and this story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linus finds a child in the woods and does what he can to help her.

     It was a lovely Spring evening when Linus found himself faced with a creature he had never imagined. He was just on his way to his tent from a nice chat with Wizard when he heard a rustle in the bushes. Curious as most of the animals in the forest didn't mind his presence he slowly approached the bush and peered through the leaves. There he saw it; a small child. No more than five years of age, the unclothed child had pure white hair and pinkish skin. The child was clearly a girl. She looked up at him with wide, golden eyes. The most interesting traits of the child were the ears and tail that sprouted from her being.

     It took him a moment to find his voice, but once he did he kept it shushed and gentle. "Hello there, little one." He reached a hand out to her but she flinched away. "There there. I'm not going to hurt you. See?" She looked back up at his face as if looking for a trace of deception and it made his heart ache. A child this young should not have such an un-trusting look about them as if they had been shunned. The look on her face was the same one he himself wore when meeting someone new.

     He was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt a wet sensation on his outstretched hand. The fox-like child had apparently sniffed him and deemed him trustworthy. He pet her head and opened his arms. She crawled out of the bush and snuggled into his arms. The child was so thin, like her skin was stretched across her bones. He picked her up and was about to take her back to his tent when the smell of pizza and beer wafted to both of their noses from the Saloon. Linus bit his lip and thought about the offer Gus had given him a while back and sighed.

     This child in his arms needed a filling meal, not just the salmonberries he had back in his makeshift home. It was almost midnight anyway so he made his way to the bushes in front of the pub and hid himself and the girl. Once everyone but the owner of the establishment left he told the girl to stay put before walking to the door and knocking. A moment later Gus opened the door with a confused look on his face, probably wondering why someone would knock on the door of the pub instead of just entering, even if it was after hours. Once he saw Linus though, he smiled. "Hello, Linus. Would you like something to eat?"

     Linus swallowed his pride and nodded. "Yes, but not for me. Actually, would you mind if we come in?"

     " 'We?' "

     The wild man walked back to the previously mentioned bush and coaxed the naked child from it. He walked back to a baffled Gus. "She needs food. And maybe a shirt."

     After opening and closing his mouth a few times Gus stood to the side and let the duo inside, closing the door after them. Linus took a seat at the bar while the bartender walked in to the back, emerging shortly after with a big shirt. He handed it to Linus whom nodded to him and helped the little girl get into it. While Gus put a pizza in the oven he turned to his late guests.

     "So . . . Where did you find her?"

     Said child's ears flicked in the big man's direction while she cuddled her new bearded friend. "Well, I found her in a bush in Cindersap Forest. She's so thin . . . I . . . I knew she needed to be fed more than just what I have back at the tent. I'm really sorry to bother you after your closing hours, but I didn't know if . . . No, I definitely know that the other villagers wouldn't want to help me."

     Gus frowned at hearing the other's words as the white haired girl in his lap whimpered. They turned their attention to her, both worried for her health. Gus turned to the oven and pulled out the pizza, setting it on the cooling rack. The smell of the food made the child perk up and look for it. The men smiled sadly as the girl's body twisted around as she looked for the source of the interesting aroma. Her stomach grumbled loudly causing her to let out another whimper, her ears lowering as she gave up and leaned against Linus's body again. Both men's hearts immediately broke. Unable to take anymore, Gus cut the pizza and set a slice on a plate. He tapped it to make sure it was cool enough before setting it in front of them.

     Linus pinched a bit off the slice and held it in front of the girl's mouth. Her eyes flew open as she sniffed frantically at the offered food. Tentatively, she leaned forward and took it from his hand with her mouth, chewing the bite with a smile. Once it was gone she looked from the rest of the food, to the men, and back. Gus nodded at her so she grabbed the broken triangle and bit it, animalistically munching.

     She ate about three-forth's of the pizza before leaning back on Linus with a content expression adorning her tiny face. Linus glanced at Gus who smiled and nodded at him before he allowed himself to finish off the rest of the food. Once both were finished Gus put the plate away and grinned at the two. "I'm afraid I need to close up now."

     Linus stood with a nearly asleep child in his arms. "I understand. I don't know how to thank you enough, Gus."

     "Not a problem. Honestly. Both you and the child are welcome here anytime. Be careful going home, now."

     Both nodded to each other before Linus exited the building and walked to his tent on the mountain. He took the child inside and zipped both of them in his sleeping bag. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her ears as she slept. "Good night, little one. Maybe I'll give you a name in the morning."

~~~~ Next Morning ~~~~

     Linus woke up with a yawn and stretched out before remembering there was a child in his bag. He looked down but instead of a child he found a brown, cloth bag with a small, dirt hand-print. The print was the size of a child with a smaller fox's paw print inside. He gasped as he realized that the strange child he found in the woods wasn't just a strange child, but some sort of forest spirit. He opened the satchel and found lots of berries, nuts, and fruits. Even those out of season like blackberries, cranberries, and even an ancient fruit. He smiled and decided to pay Wizard another visit to tell him about his experience.

     Gus woke up in his bed and got ready for the day. When he went out to his bar he saw a box with the same print as the bag Linus had found. His jaw dropped as he opened it. Inside were enough ingredients to last him the rest of Spring and most of Summer. He smiled and almost did a happy dance. How was helping someone so rewarding? He wasn't just talking about the box in front of him, but the warm feeling the spread across his chest. Gus and Linus shared a thought at that moment; would they ever see that little girl again?


	2. Robin's Household

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin, Demetrius, Sebastian, and Maru meet the small child they heard Linus talking about and Robin seriously owes the older man an apology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Stardew Valley, just my ideas and this story.

     Linus had been enjoying his gifts from the child days after he and Gus had helped her when Robin took notice that his collecting bag was bulging when it was usually near empty. Normally she didn't have a problem with the man so long as he didn't bother her or her family, but when one's bag goes from being nearly empty to full in no time flat made her a little suspicious. So she decided to approach him about it. While he was sitting by the river near her house she walked over to him. "Hey, Linus. Lovely day, huh?"

     The man turned to the red-haired woman with a shocked expression. Only Wizard, Gus, and the farmer ever talked to him kindly. He was a bit unnerved by Robin's sudden approach and took a small step away from her. "Hello, Miss Robin. It surely is. Um, is there something you need?"

     She sighed and fixed her cool gaze on him. "I noticed your bag is unusually full. Wasn't it almost empty a few days ago? There's no way you found that many salmonberries is such a short amount of time."

     Ah, she was accusing him of stealing from someone. Of course. It was his turn to sigh. "If you're implying that I stole from anyone, especially yourself, then you are sorely mistaken. I would never do that. The food in my bag is a gift from someone I helped a few days ago."

     Robin drew her lips into a thin line and let out a hum of thought. "You're sure?" Oh, ouch. "Who was it that you helped?"

     Feeling very insulted by her tone and accusations, Linus narrowed his eyes as he answered. "A forest spirit. I see that look. It's one of disbelief. Well, since you won't take my word for it why don't you ask Gus? He helped her as well, surely he was rewarded."

     Robin rolled her eyes at his explanation and let out a huff. "Good grief, Linus. If you're that hungry why don't you ask for food instead of stealing it and having your friend lie for you? Yoba." With that she turned and went back to her house, leaving Linus to watch after her with a saddened expression and a pain in his heart.

~~~~ ??? P.O.V. ~~~~

     I watched as a woman with red hair walked to the human by the name of Linus and accuse him of stealing the food he had in his pouch. Why was she filled with such untrust towards him? He was a kind person whom was more in touch with nature than most of the town was. When she walked away from the man she could feel frustration and anger billowing off of her and sadness flowing from her new friend. Once the woman was out of sight she took physical form and nudged Linus's hand with her head. He looked down at her, shock adorning his face for the second time that day. He settled down once he saw it was her and pet her ears. The two sat in silence for a while before she stood and vanished once again, leaving him with a smile. She decided that she should visit the other residents in this town to see if they were friend or foe.

~~~~ That Night ~~~~

     Sebastian left his house with a relieved sigh and walked briskly towards his usual spot. His mom was in a bad mood for whatever reason and was lashing out at him and his sister 'till Demetrius finally got home and she turned it on him. He was more than happy to escape into the calm night and get away from that hectic scene. As he made his way to the spa/train station he weighed his choices; he could either smoke and try harder to quite later, or he could enjoy a dip in the hot water instead. With a smirk he decided to fight his bad habit tooth and nail and chose the bathhouse.

     After a refreshing half hour soak he sighed in content and walked in the direction of his house. As he was about to pass the cliff he heard a sniffle. The sound of quiet crying could be heard clearer now that Seb's attention had been caught and he looked around to find the source. Huddled at the base of a tree was a small figure, about the size of a child as far as he could tell in the dark. With a moment of hesitation Sebastian walked to the figure and touched its back. Golden eyes met his dark purple and in that moment Sebastian knew they were't normal. He pat the child's head and found animal-like ears protruding from where human ears should have been, but found that this trait did not frighten him. He looked over the rest of their body finding them to be in an over-sized shirt and that their arms and legs were very thin.

     He figured the kid hadn't eaten well in a long time so he held out his arms to pick them up, which they accepted. He lifted the shirt to see if they had anything underneath and quickly dropped the fabric. Welp, she didn't have any underwear, so maybe he could ask Maru if she still had some from when she was little. Still, first priority was food. He walked back to his house with the girl safely secured in his arms. Once he was at his door he could feel the tension on the other side. Apparently so could the child cuddled up against him because she let out a soft whimper, her ears lowering as she looked at the door in front of them. He sighed but entered the house. Fist person he saw was his half-sister, Maru, on the couch. To her left was Demetrius, and in the chair was his mom. Robin looked like she was about to lecture him when she noticed the small person in her son's arms. She also caught the attention of the other two seated on the couch.

     Before they could form any words Sebastian walked past them and into the kitchen where he placed the girl in a chair at the table. He then went to the fridge and pulled out some leftover spaghetti, warming it up in the microwave. He whipped his head around when he heard a noise of discomfort come from the little girl and found his step-father holding her at arms length and inspecting her. Sebastian growled and the dark man put the girl back down before leaving to go to he and his wife's bedroom. Robin entered the kitchen as well, sitting on the opposite end of the table than the girl and staring at her in disbelief. Maru was at her brother's side.

     "Hey, Seb? Where'd you find the little cutie?"

     "By the spa, sitting under a tree, crying."

     "Aw, that's so sad. I wonder where her parents are?"

     "No clue."

     Maru picked up the girl and sat in the chair, setting the small child on her lap and petting her hair and ears. The white haired girl nuzzled the other's neck and smiled happily. When the microwave beeped Seb took out the bowl and sat in the chair beside the two and twirled some sauce covered noodles on a fork, holding it up to the girls mouth once Maru turned her the right way. She didn't open her mouth at first, just stared at the fork with a confused expression. Sebastian opened his mouth and made to put the food in and the girl seemed to understand. She copied him and received food as a reward. After she finished off the bowl Maru wiped her face off with a napkin and started to play with her ears.

     Sebastian washed the dish and finally turned to his mother whom had been quietly watching the entire time. "If you're not going to help the kid then why are you still here?"

     She was quiet still for a moment before looking her son in the eye. "I just want to know  _what_ she is. That's all."

     Her children stared at her in disbelief. What happened to their always ready to lend a hand mother? Her son sighed and turned to Maru. "Hey sis, you got any underwear she can wear?"

     The brunette thought for a bit. Did she? "Yeah. I think I do. Give me a sec." She handed the girl to Seb and walked to her room. The dark haired boy looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled at her. She giggled back and snuggled his chest. Warmth blossomed in his heart as he ran his fingers through her hair and waited patiently for Maru to get back. The young woman did re-appear and with a small pair of white under-things with strawberry print held out to the fox-child. Seb held her up and Maru slid the item on her little self. They managed to stay up even with her thin body somehow, but they were glad it fit.

     "There we go, kiddo!" The pink-ish little one giggled at the two of them before letting out a yawn. "Aw, looks like someone's sleepy. You calling dibs, Seb?"

     "Yeah. I'll make sure she doesn't fall out of my bed or anything, don't worry."

     "Teehee, I wasn't worried. You'll make a great dad one day."

     Her brother's pale skin turned rosey red as he turned away from his sister and clutched the girl closer. "You say so. . . . Thanks, Maru."

     "Night."

     As the siblings parted ways Robin got up from her seat and joined her husband in bed for the night, wondering if what the wild man that lived above her could be true. After Sebastian was dressed for bed he scooted the child to the side against the wall and held her o his chest, covering them both with his dark blanket. He yawned and smiled into the white fluff that tickled his nose. "I wonder if you have a name, kiddo? Maybe tomorrow . . ." Aaaaand he fell asleep.

     An hour after he entered the land of dreams the little girl made her move. She poofed from his bed and re-appeared with a satchel with her insignia on it, placing it on his bed where she once was. After that she popped into Maru's room and did the same, placing the bag in front of her door. Next was the parents. Once she was in their room she narrowed her eyes at their sleeping forms. They had acted unacceptably in her presence and she was greatly displeased. With a surge of magic directed at the couple she sighed. Some humans, really. Looking them over she was happy with her work, so she took her hand and somehow placed a black, dripping version of her insignia on their door before leaving.

~~~~ Wizard ~~~~

     Rasmodius woke up without warning to the spark of powerful, unknown magic being used somewhere in town. He couldn't even pinpoint a general area because it vanished just a quickly as it started. After  catching his breath he thought back to his friend Linus telling him about a forest spirit that tested and rewarded him and Gus. He would definitely have to look further into this if the spirit had this much power.

~~~~ Next Morning ~~~~

     Robin's screech woke the whole household. Demetrius started away and looked up at his wife for about five seconds before letting out a similar noise. Her hair had been turned sun yellow and looked like a rat's nest. And Demetrius's hair had been turned light pink and had somehow grown out into an afro. The siblings woke up from the noises but dismissed them as their eyes landed on their bags. Seb opened the soft bag to reveal a frozen tear, a bowl of pumpkin soup, and a rare extension for Dungeons and Dragons*. Maru opened hers to find a deluxe battery pack, a miner's treat, and a large quantity of strawberries. Both children were happy while the parents were freaking out. Maybe they should have put their fear of that child aside and helped Sebastian and Maru take care of her.

     When the family gathered for breakfast, and after the giggle fest the teenagers had, they found that the girl had completely vanished into the night. They decided not to talk about it unless they were directly asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are treasured gifts for this author~♫  
> How are you all liking this so far?


	3. Pam and Penny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penny walks the children home and hears them talking about a girl younger than them who plays with them and gives them gifts if they feed her. Penny wonders about this child and soon enough meets her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Stardew Valley, just my ideas and this story.

Cai  _ever so helpfully gave a name to the spirit of Gifts and Gags. I hope you don't mind,_ Cai Lovely,  _but I would like to use the name you gave her for the children to call her. If you do mind please tell me and I'll edit the chapter, alrighty? Thanks a bundle~♫ Now, on with it!_

~~~~

     Children say the darnedest things, don't they? That's what was going through Penny's head as she listened to Vincent and Jas talk about their new friend. They said that she had snow white hair and sparkling gold eyes. They also said that she had the ears and tail of a fox so they nicknamed her Foxy. Apparently the child was super skinny and also magical. If you gave her food she gives you something in return, but you can't ask for a specific gift. "It doesn't work like that, Miss Penny," Vincent told her.

     Jas explained, "You can't be greedy. She gives you what you need, and if you aren't in need of something when you help her then she gives you things you like. Asking for a certain gift is like asking Farmer for only gold quality crops. It's rude."

     Penny was surprised at the children's seriousness about the topic. As she parted ways with them on the path to their houses she wondered if there was a possibility of the fox child being real. Farmer said that the Juminos she read about were indeed real spirits of the forest and that with their help they were able to repair the Community Center, so the chances of this magical friend of the children being real weren't that low. Come to think of it she  _did_ overhear Sebastian talking with Sam and Abigail about some cool gifts he got from a child spirit he helped, and about the same spirit being the reason the town hadn't seen his mom or step-dad for the two weeks that had passed. Could they be connected?

     The redhead made it home and all thought of the child slipped her mind as she saw the mess her mother left behind. She held her breath as she debated whether she should attempt to clean up or not, and sighed as she decided she didn't want to be yelled at that day. She did a 180 degree turn and left the camper to sit beneath a tree and read or something.

~~~~ That Night ~~~~

     The pitter-patter of rain on the metal roof had almost lulled Penny to sleep. That is, until scratching on the door of the camper startled her out of it. She was about to get up to see if Alex's dog had somehow gotten out of his pen when the thudding footsteps of her mother went in the direction the noise was coming from. "I'm coming, 'm coming! Don't scratch up my door!" Penny sighed as she figured Pam was suffering from a migraine due to all the booze she drank. It was Fri-, she glanced at her clock, early Saturday morning. She was going to shrug it all off and try to sleep again when her mothers startled scream rang out. Penny flung her covers off and ran to the living room.

     "Mom?! Are you oka-"

     "Holy Yoba!"

     Both women stared out the door at the small child who sat on the ground, shivering like a leaf in the wind. She was so skinny under the soaking wet, over-sized shirt covering her frame. Without a second thought Penny scooped up the child and brought her in. Pam closed the door and turned to her daughter. "Are you really going to take that thing in? It looks so weird."

     "This  _thing_ is a child. Wouldn't you want someone to take care of your lost, hungry child?"

     Pam closed her mouth and nodded solemnly before taking her place by her daughter and helping with drying the little girl off and changing her clothes. Penny's smallest yellow tee was still much too big for the girl, but it fit better than the giant shirt that was on her before. The underwear the white haired child had on was somehow still dry so the women didn't bother to change it. Once she was dried off Pam sat with her on the couch while Penny went to the fridge to find the girl something to eat. Pam stared down at the strange, small being sitting beside her and taking in her surroundings with a look of awe. With a sigh the older woman combed her fingers through snowy hair and brushed her thumbs over fox-like ears earning a happy squeak from the gold eyes child. Penny came back and smiled at the sight for a moment 'till she decided it was time to feed the girl.

     Feeding the little one was so much easier than it had been for Pam when Penny was this young, but the blond figured it was due to how thin she was. After feeding time the mother-daughter duo said their goodnight's and headed for their own beds, the little girl accompanying Penny. The red-haired woman smiled as the child in her arms snuggled closer to her in sleep. _'So, this is the child Vince and Jas spoke of. Cute.'_ That was the last thing Penny thought as sleep claimed her consciousness.

     When she woke up the next morning the little girl was gone. Penny's frantic footsteps must have woken her mother as the woman walked into the living area a little after her daughter. Both looked down at a pretty nice sized bag sitting in the middle of their floor with a hand/paw print on it. The two opened it to reveal fresh parsnips, parsnip soup, poppy seed muffins, roots platter, a book titled "How to Fight Addiction: Alcohol Addition," and another book titled "Teaching: Third Grade - Fourth Grade Levels."

     Penny and Pam were both touched at the items, especially the books. Those were definitely needed. And the fact that they had them was all thanks to a sweet, little spirit child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are treasured by yours truly~♥


	4. Leah and the Wizard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most of the town has heard of the small, laughable rumor of a fox-like child appearing and disappearing within the town, including Leah whom really, really wants to draw her. Unknowingly, she's about to get a chance to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Stardew Valley, only my ideas and this story!

     One evening a shy artist heard her child neighbor talking to her friend about their fox spirit. Leah, despite her shy nature, approached the children and asked what they were talking about. Once the young ones explained to her, as much as they could, who and what the fox girl was the red head asked what she looked like. Between the two of them they gave a pretty good description to the adult before heading their separate ways. Since then Leah has tried many different styles of drawing to try to capture the absolute wonder the children talked to her about, but found that she wasn't pleased with her art at all. It all lacked something. She'd have to look at the spirit herself if she wanted to get a better chance.

     Rasmodius the wizard had flipped through each and every one of his books in search for any hint he could about what this new, powerful being was that was visiting the valley. Or perhaps it had been there all along without coming forward and showing themselves to the people who moved in? Who knew? Certainly not him. He was studying a book on Asian lore when he heard a soft "kon kon" from his doorway. He whipped his head around and saw the small child standing there, smiling at him. He ever so slowly set his book down and stood up, cautiously approaching the child. As he observed her he realized that she was not thin anymore, but a healthy weight. She was also a very captivating child, the most beautiful he had ever seen as if born from the another realm. The closer he got the more she inched towards the door, and before he could reach out she sprinted off into the field.

     The man instantly followed in pursuit because he wanted to know more about this being's powers. Leah, the unsuspecting woman, was drawing a nature scene when she caught sight of the little girl as well and froze. Her hair shimmered in the light as if it were freshly fallen snow. She was wearing a yellow T-shirt and running barefooted through the grass, grinning and giggling as she ran away from the strange man who lived in the tower. The girl saw her too, and ran straight for her. Leah prepared herself for an impact, but the animalistic child stopped just before her and smiled knowingly as she blinked her sparkling eyes. "Kon," was the only thing she said before stepping back and gracefully running away from the two who now merely stared at her retreating figure 'till it literally vanished.

     Leah and Wizard glanced at each other before turning back to their respectful housings and walking away. One to do more research and the other to capture the beauty of that spirit on paper, maybe even canvas. Or a sculpture!

 

~~~~

Hey, Lovelies! Sorry for the short chapter. I might re-do this one later if I manage to get better ideas flowing through this head of mine. ^_^"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are treasured gifts~


End file.
